PGA Tour to trial use of rangefinders

“For years there has been significant discussion and debate about whether distance measuring devices would have a positive or negative impact on competition at the highest levels of professional golf,” said Andy Pazder, chief tournaments and competitions officer of the PGA Tour.

“The only way we can accurately assess their impact is to conduct an actual test during official competition on one or more of our tours.

We look forward to seeing how these tests go

“We look forward to seeing how these tests go and carefully
evaluating the use of the devices over those weeks. Our evaluation will
consider the impact on pace of play, optics and any other effects they
might have on the competition.”

As you can imagine, the issue prompted quite the debate on social
media as to whether the use of rangefinders would speed of pace of play.

Craig Connelly, caddie to Martin Kaymer, was skeptical.

To which Rickie Fowler agreed.

Then it came to the age-old stroke penalties for slow play debate, to which Connelly and 2018 Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn had conflicting opinions on.

Connelly believes the standard should be reinforced at grassroots level, while Bjorn says it’s up to the tours and its players to set the example.

Should rangefinders be allowed?

What do you make of the news that rangefinders are going to be put on trial on some of the PGA Tour’s minor tours in 2017? Let us know in the ‘Comments’ section below.